March 16, 2020
Two Conservative Party leadership candidates, Dr. Leslyn Lewis and MP Derek Sloan, support legislation banning sex selective abortion. Such legislation is currently being debated in Parliament, as MP Cathay Wagantall recently introduced Bill C-233, the Sex Selective Abortion Act. Lewis said in a March 7 tweet that as leader she would “ban the misogynistic practice of sex-selective abortion.” Sloan, in a statement pledging to vote for C-233, said similarly: “With the ongoing reality of sex-selective abortion, we can no longer say that the notion of equality has any meaning in our country.”
“It is our hope that the Sex Selective Abortion Act will get support from all MPs,” said Mike Schouten, Director of We Need a Law. “Anyone who values gender equality should be very concerned that it is being ignored at the earliest stages of life. But we especially expect it to have support among Conservative MPs, as it aligns with Conservative party policy.”
The private member’s bill introduced by MP Cathay Wagantall is in line with the Conservative Party’s policy #81, which says the party “condemns discrimination against girls through gender selection abortions.”
“I was at the convention when the party membership voted for this policy,” Schouten recounted. “The party base at the 2016 convention in Vancouver sent a clear message – to be Conservative means to be against all forms of sex discrimination, including sex selective abortion. I expect anyone who wants to lead the Conservative party to acknowledge and support that stance.”
This is an issue that most Canadians, regardless of political affiliation, agree on. A recent poll showed that 84% of Canadians support a law banning sex selective abortion. “This is a uniting issue,” Schouten said. “Support for Bill C-233, the Sex Selective Abortion Act, should unite the Conservative party as well as all Canadians. We look forward to hearing the remaining leadership candidates voice their support for this bill.”
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